Display device

ABSTRACT

A display device for facilitating the storage, display and movement of fanfolded paper for the purpose of transcribing information recorded on the paper. The display device comprises a container within which the fanfolded paper is stored, and an upright display panel on which the fanfolded paper is supported for movement thereacross such that the information recorded on the fanfolded paper is easily viewed. The device includes a cover which, during use, is positioned in an end-to-end relationship with the container to provide support for the display panel in maintaining the same in an upright position while the fan-folded paper which has been moved over the display panel is stored within the cover during the transcribing process.

United States Patent [1 1 Farber 1 May 13,1975

[ DISPLAY DEVICE [22] Filed: Sept. 10, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 395,852

[52] U.S. Cl. 40/352 [51] Int. Cl B4lj 11/58 [58] Field of Search 40/343, 347, 352, 348

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,216,334 10/1940 Akin 40/343 Primary ExaminerJ. H. Wolff Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Irving M. Weiner [57] ABSTRACT A display device for facilitating the storage, display and movement of fanfolded paper for the purpose of transcribing information recorded on the paper. The display device comprises a container within which the fanfolded paper is stored, and an upright display panel on which the fanfolded paper is supported for movement thereacross such that the information recorded on the fanfolded paper is easily viewed. The device includes a cover which, during use, is positioned in an end-to-end relationship with the container to provide support for the display panel in maintaining the same in an upright position while the fan-folded paper which has been moved over the display panel is stored within the cover during the transcribing process.

2 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures HAY 1 3iS75 3882.621

SHEET 10F z PATENTED m 1 31975 $3,8 2,621

saw 2 0F 2 DISPLAY DEVICE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to display devices and, in particular, to a display device for facilitating the display of fanfolded paper having information thereon which is desired to be read and/or transcribed.

2. Description of the Prior Art Today it has become a common practice in the transcribing of certain proceedings, such as a court proceeding, to utilize a transcribing machine that records the proceedings in shorthand or in a coded manner on a fanfolded paper. That is, the paper is folded in a zigzag configuration to define a plurality of continuous panels or sheets of substantially equal length that are connected to each other at common folds with one surface of the paper having the recorded information thereon. These transcribing machines are utilized because they permit the court stenographer to transcribe the proceedings quickly and efficiently and, at a later date, the stenographer may transcribe the coded information to a typewritten paper or the like. It is during this process of transcribing the coded information from the fanfolded paper to more conventional recording means, such as typewritten paper, that the present invention finds unique application.

In the prior art, applicant is not aware of any device or apparatus which may be utilized in the same manner as the device disclosed hereinafter. Various display devices. however, have been disclosed in the prior art and these include the devices disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,631,972, 3,269,043, 2,627,427, 3,189,369, 822,406, 445,368, 2,149,780, 3,609,897, 2,889,937, 3,633,298, 2,091,260 and 2,070,486. Although these patents disclose various devices and apparatus for the display of information carried on paper and the like, they do not disclose a display device of the type described herein.

SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION The present invention which will be described subsequently in greater detail comprises a display device for facilitating the reading and transcribing of an information recording member such as fanfold paper on which has been transcribed coded information.

It is therefore a primary object of the present invention to provide a display device which is particularly suited for the mounting of fanfolded paper to display the information recorded thereon and which device may be folded up into a convenient carrying configuration.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide such a display device which is simple and sturdy in its design and construction and inexpensive to manufacture.

Other objects, advantages and application of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art of display devices when the following description of one example of the best mode contemplated for practicing the invention is read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The description herein makes reference to the accompanying drawings wherein like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of fanfolded paper adapted to be displayed on the device disclosed in the remainder of the figures of the drawings;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an example of a display device for practicing the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the display device illustrated in FIG. 2 in a partially folded position;

FIG. 4 is a longitudinal cross sectional view of the display device as taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the device in a closed position;

FIG. 6 is a cross sectional view of the display device taken along line 6-6 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a plan top elevational view of the display device in a closed position with the cover removed; and

FIG. 8 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of FIG. 4.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to the drawings and, in particular, to FIG. 1 wherein there is illustrated an example of a fanfolded paper 10 which may be utilized in conjunction with the present invention. The fanfolded paper 10 comprises an elongated sheet of paper which is folded in a zigzag configuration to define a plurality of continuous panels or sheets 12 of substantially equal length connected to each other at common folds l4. Normally, the fanfolded paper 10 is so utilized that information recorded on the fanfolded paper 10 is normally coded such that it may be quickly transcribed thereon and, subsequently, when the stenographer who has transcribed the information onto the fanfolded paper 10 may at a more leisurely pace transcribe the coded information on conventional paper. In order to facilitate the visual presentation of the printed surface of each panel 12 of the fanfolded paper 10, the present invention contemplates the use of a display device 20. The display device 20, as can best be seen in FIGS. 2 through 8, comprises a container 22 having a display panel 24 hinged at one end. A cover 26 is adapted to enclose the container 22.

The container 22 comprises a base 28 (FIGS. 4 and 6) having upstanding side walls 30 and 32 and end walls 34 and 36. The side walls 30 and 32 adjacent the end 36 are of a reduced cross section for a purpose to be described hereinafter. The reduced cross section defined between the opposing inner surfaces of the side walls 30 and 32 provide a space wide enough to receive the fanfolded paper 10 as illustrated in FIG. 2. The side edges of the end wall 36 at the juncture of the side walls 30 and 32 have integrally formed thereon side flaps 40 and 42 which are connected to the container at a reduced section such as the side flaps 40 and 42 may be pivoted from a closed position wherein the flaps 40 and 42 are adjacent the side walls 30 and 32 of the reduced cross section of the container 22 such as illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 7 to an extended position to engage the cover 26 as illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 4, all of which will be described in greater detail hereinafter.

3 The display panel 24 and a support panel 48 are illustrated as being pivotably attached to eachother at their upper ends. The lower end of the display panel 24 is pivotably attached to the upper edge of the end wall 36 by means of any suitable hinge. The lower edge of the support panel 48 is provided with a cutout section 50 forming a transverse groove (FIG. 4) adapted to receive the upper surface of one end of the cover 26 to support the display panel 24 in the position illustrated in FIG. 2 as will be described hereinafter. As can best be seen in FIG. 8 the display panel 24 also includes a guide loop 52 located at the juncture point between the,

tional means for holding that portion of the fanfolded paper which is disposed on the outer face of the display panel 24 to permit easy viewing. The guide 54 may 7 be transparent to permit the user to view the information on the paper therebelow, or, alternately, the guide 54 may be fabricated from a glass having magnifying qualities so as to enlarge the print on the paper, 10. The guide 54 may be moved up and down to provide a magnified view over the full length of the panel 24.

The cover 26 is generally of a rectangular shape having a base6l with upstanding side walls 60 and 62 and end walls 64 and 66. The interior of the cover is so sized that the same may be positioned over the container 22 when the flaps 4t) and 42 are in the closed position and the display device 54 has been pivoted into the top of the container 22 as illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7.

In use, the container 22 is positioned with its end wall 36 spaced from the end wall 66 ofthe cover 26 so that the cover 26 and the container 22 are in an end-to-end alignment. As can best be seen in FIGS. 2 and 3, the side walls 60 and 62 of the cover 26 are provided with projections 68 which are adapted to be received in apertures 70 in the flaps 40 and 42 in a snap lock fashion to secure the container 22 to the cover 26 at the de-. sired spaced distance.

The display panel 24 is then raised from within the container 22 interior with the cutout section 50 being moved outwardly with respect to the support panel 48 to receive the upper edge ofthe end wall 66 as illustrated in FIG. 4 to securely maintain the display panel 24 in the raised position illustrated. The fanfolded paper 10 is then positioned within the interior of the container 22 and the edge of the first sheet 12 is positioned through the guide 54 and the guide 52 whereupon it may be easily viewed by the user to transcribe the information contained thereon. As the information is transcribed from each sheet 12 of the fanfolded paper 16, the sheet 112 ismoved through the display panel 24 and stored within. the interior of the cover 26.

When the user has finished transcribing the information which was on the fanfolded paper 10, the same is removed from within the cover 26 and the display panel 24 is disengaged from. the edge 66 of the cover 26 and folded back into the interior of the container 22 as illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 7. Flaps 40 and 42 are dis-.

engaged from the projections on the opposite sides of the cover 26 and are moved to their closed position such as shown in FIGS. 3 and 7. The cover 26 is then positioned over the container 22 to enclose thesame as 2 shown in FIGS. 5 and 6.

It should be noted that the container 22 may also be 2 used to store the fanfolded paper when the same is i not in use.

Similarly, in the event that only a portion of the fan-.

folded paper 10 has been transcribed, it isnot neces- 1 sary to remove the paper from Within the container 22 for separate storage. The display panel 24 with the paper still in position as illustrated inFIG. 2 may be dis:

engaged from the cover 26 and positioned within the container 22 while the paper 10 within the interior of the cover 26 is positionedon top of thepanel 24 and both the paper 10 and container 22 are enclosed by the cover 26.

It should also be noted that the display panel 24 may be a two section component which has alower portion fixed to the upper edge of the end wall 36 and an upper section that is telescopically engaged thereby. Similarly the support panel 48 may have a lower section that engages the upper edge of the cover 26 and an upper telev scoping section that is pivotably attached to the afore-y mentioned telescoping end of the panel 24 so that the entire display panel 24 may be telescoped outwardlyto facilitate different sized sheets 12 or to facilitate view-.

ing more than one sheet 12 of the paper 10.

Similarly, the upper edge of the cover wall 66 may be hingelyattached to the upper edge of the end, wall 36 of the container 22 such that the cover 26 may simply be dropped over the container 22 to enclose the same.

In such a situation, the cover 26 would be fabricated such that it is a two part cover with the samebeing telescopically expansible along its longitudinal length so as to obtain a spacing from the container topermitthe proper positioning of the support panel 48 and receive and store that portion of fanfolded paper 16 which'has been transcribed. I

In the preferred embodiment the device is preferably fabricated from a plastic material, however, it should. be understood that other materials such as cardboard] may be utilized in fabricating the inventive display device. It should also be understood that a less mobil d evice may be fabricated with the cover being an integral extension of the container and, thus, the cover may not be utilized to enclose the container but simply funce .1 I I tions to receive and store transcribed portions of'the: fanfolded paper.

It should also be understood to those skilled in the art of fabricating display devices, that other forms may be had all coming within the spirit of the. invention and. I I

scope of the appended claims. What is claimed is as follows:. l

l. A display device for facilitating the readingof-an elongated recording member comprising:

an elongated rectangular container;

a display member vertically positionable between the adjacent ends of said container and said cover when said cover and said container are in said endto-end fashion, said display member connecting said cover to said container and comprisinga first elongated rectangular element, one end of which is pivotally attached to said adjacent end of said con-,

tainer such that said display member maybe piv-;

oted from a first position wherein it is disposed within said container to a second vertically raised position, a second elongated rectangular element having one end pivotally attached to the other end of said first rectangular element, the other end of said second retangular element having means for releasably engaging said adjacent end of said cover to support said display member in said vertically raised position;

an elongated foldable recording member;

means carried by said display member for holding a portion of said recording member thereon to facilitate the reading of said portion of said recording member and to facilitate the selective hand movement of said recording member from said container to said cover for storage therewithin, said last mentioned means comprising a securing element slidably carried along the length of said first rectangular element for securing said recording member to said first rectangular element such that said record ing member may be slidably moved across the exposed face of said first rectangular element, said securing element being fabricated from a transparent material to permit viewing and magnification of said recording member thereunder; and

means carried by said container for releasably engaging said adjacent end of said cover and to secure said container and said cover in said end-to-end fashion, said releasable engaging means comprises a pair of laterally disposed flaps with one end of each said flap being pivotally attached along the vertically opposed corners of said adjacent end of said container, and the opposite end of each said flap having an aperture which cooperates with a projection on the vertically opposed sides of the said cover;

said adjacent end of said container having a reduced cross-section so as to define recesses on the opposite sides of said container which are adapted to receive said flaps and which results in a uniformly shaped container, said cover being adapted to enclose the interior of said container when said flaps are received in said reduced cross-sectioned recesses, respectively, and the display and recording members are located within the container, so as to form a Self-contained box-like enclosure.

2. The display device defined in claim I wherein said display member has guide means located at the juncture of said first and second rectangular elements for slidably retaining said recording member to said elements to permit the free passage of said recording member thereover. 

1. A display device for facilitating the reading of an elongated recording member comprising: an elongated rectangular container; a rectangularly shaped cover for enclosing said container, said container and said cover being positionable in an end-to-end fashion with the interiors of said cover and said container facing upwardly; a display member vertically positionable between the adjacent ends of said container and said cover when said cover and said container are in said end-to-end fashion, said display member connecting said cover to said container and comprising a first elongated rectangular element, one end of which is pivotally attached to said adjacent end of said container such that said display member may be pivoted from a first position wherein it is disposed within said container to a second vertically raised position, a second elongated rectangular element having one end pivotally attached to the other end of said first rectangular element, the other end of said second retangular element having means for releasably engaging said adjacent end of said cover to support said display member in said vertically raised position; an elongated foldable recording member; means carried by said display member for holding a portion of said recording member thereon to facilitate the reading of said portion of said recording member and to facilitate the selective hand movement of said recording member from said container to said cover for storage therewithin, said last mentioned means comprising a securing element slidably carried along the length of said first rectangular element for securing said recording member to said first rectangular element such that said recording member may be slidably moved across the exposed face of said first rectangular element, said securing element being fabricated from a transparent material to permit viewing and magnification of said recording member thereunder; and means carried by said container for releasably engaging said adjacent end of said cover and to secure said container and said cover in said end-to-end fashion, said releasable engaging means comprises a pair of laterally disposed flaps with one end of each said flap being pivotally attached along the vertically opposed corners of said adjacent end of said container, and the opposite end of each said flap having an aperture which cooperates with a projection on the vertically opposed sides of the said cover; said adjacent end of said container having a reduced crosssectIon so as to define recesses on the opposite sides of said container which are adapted to receive said flaps and which results in a uniformly shaped container, said cover being adapted to enclose the interior of said container when said flaps are received in said reduced cross-sectioned recesses, respectively, and the display and recording members are located within the container, so as to form a self-contained box-like enclosure.
 2. The display device defined in claim 1 wherein said display member has guide means located at the juncture of said first and second rectangular elements for slidably retaining said recording member to said elements to permit the free passage of said recording member thereover. 